By Emeka Amaefula
I WILL RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA IF VOTED AS NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT IN 2023—ATIKU ABUBAKAR TELLS BAYELSA PDP DELEGATES
The frontline Peoples Democratic Party-PDP Presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Friday, 13th of May, 2022 while on Meet and Greet Delegates Consultative forum in Yenagoa the Bayelsa state capital where he met with Governor of Bayelsa state Senator Douye Diri at Government House and at PDP Party Secretariat Yenagoa, stated unequivocally that if voted as the president of Nigeria in 2023 he will restructure Nigeria by devolving powers to the states. He decried the over centralization of responsibilities to the central Government. The Waziri of Adamawa said ‘’Here we are confronted with the most centralized Federation in the World. These are just a few challenges that we are facing in this country. We must brace up as a political party, we must unite as a political party, to return our party to power. It is very important as we cannot afford to be in opposition again. That brings me to the question of whether we must vote for our best. Our best meaning is who do we believe can bring us back to power? It is very important. Last time I came here Governor Dickson was in charge and I handed him a book which I wrote on the restructuring of this country. I have always believed that this country must be restructured, more powers and resources must be devolved to the states, so that they can handle most of our affairs. Left to me I would like to see a very lean federal government so that each state can have its own destiny to manage. And we need the kind of leadership that can confront the challenges that I have enumerated. I dare say that I do have to tell you that we as PDP that we as Government did from 1999 to 2015. When we came in in 1999, we met Nigeria in a very similar circumstance. But not as bad as today. It was divided then because the military had mismanaged the country as they had cancelled popular democratic elections and therefore there was a division in the country. First and foremost, what we did was to reunite the country. What did we do to reunite the country? PDP won overwhelmingly but we decided to form a Government of National Unity which would bring all the political parties into Government and we got some peace. It was only after we got some peace that we started dealing with the economy. We started dealing with security and we started dealing with some other aspect of our national life. There must be peace, there must be calm before you govern. And there must be unity before you can govern. That’s why I emphasize the need for unity and for me to unify the country. What I meant here is that I am going to give every part, every section, every religion and every state a sense of belonging in this country. And that’s why I refer to myself as a Unifier. It is only when we see ourselves in unity that we can begin to implement the agenda for better reforms that we are advocating. It is only PDP that took this country to become the biggest economy in Africa. Today we have gone down. APC had succeeded in taking us backward. Sometimes it baffles me how any Nigerian can vote for APC? I just can’t understand as they have not achieved anything. They have destroyed this country. And here there are people who are saying that they are APC how? My brothers and sisters that’s for another day.’’
In his response to the speech by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Douye Diri said ‘’The unity of our party stands out as number one. Let not our individual ambition disorganized and disorientate our party for whatever reasons we must come out strong in our next convention. And let Nigerians know that PDP is still the same whole family and the same family that actually took Nigeria to somewhere that has now been reduced to the bottom. And we have demonstrated that and this convention is going to be one of the freest to Nigerians. I am very careful today as I chose my words, because right now I now wear the PDP toga of an Umpire as the deputy Chairman of one of the very most sensitive aspects of the convention being the Electoral Committee. I chose my words and I can only wish you the best and open the doors of our delegates to you for you to interact with. And I am sure that Bayelsa state at the nip of time will take Nigeria into consideration because Bayelsa will not be part of those that will lead to the break-up of Nigeria. And Bayelsa will as a matter of fact be part and parcel of the writing of history making Nigeria a greater state. Your Excellency, this is your state as you have your friends, you have your brothers and you have the people. Go in to discuss with them, court them, and I am sure that at the end of the day they will vote right. Bayelsa will vote right.’’
The PDP frontline Presidential aspirant Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was roundly received at the PDP secretariat with joyous delegates all spoke well of him and reassured him of their support at the coming PDP Presidential Delegates convention.
The political pressure group Atiku Abubakar Support Organization-ASO National and South-South women leader Hon. High Chief, Dr.(Mrs.) Evangelist Nice Aleruchi Toboulayefa Alamieyeseigha played major roles in making the Atiku Abubakar’s consultative Greet and Meet event with Bayelsa State PDP delegates a memorable one with a stunning display of the hospitality and cultural values of the Izon nation well presented as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar promised to make the People and state of Bayelsa state count in his coming administration if voted into office as executive President of Nigeria come 2023 Presidential election.